Improvement in railway car-brakes



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Patented Nov. 2, I

1. VENTQR y q/ Z ISRAEL TOWNSEND Improvement in Railway Car Brakes.

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UNITED STATES ISRAEL TOWNSEND, OF OAPEVILLE, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,140, dated November 21, 1871.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISRAEL TowNsEND, of Oapeville, in the county of Northampton and State of Virginia, have invented certain Improvements in Car-Brakes, for retarding railway cars and other vehicles, of which the following is a specification The nature of my invention consists in an auxiliary brake-shoe hinged or pivoted to the ordinary brake-shoe common to railway brakes in such manner that when the brakes are applied by steam or any other power that the auxiliary shoe shall press against the inner side of the wheel, or flange of the wheel, simultaneously with the common brakeshoe that acts upon the tread or face of the wheel. The object of the inventionis to clasp the flange of the Wheel in a manner similar in principle to the closing of a vise upon any object placed between its jaws, so as to increase the retarding effect upon the wheels of the car and lessen the thrust (usual in the old system) against the axle-bearings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the Wheel and old brake-shoe. Fig. 2 is an end view, showing the auxiliary shoe hinged to the common shoe. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of saine.

A represents the shoe now in common use; B, the auxiliary shoe; (l G, the hinge that holds them together; I) and E, two rods that connect with the system of levers common to car-brakes, which, it is obvious, may be constructedl as represented, or on the equalizing principle known as Hodges eqnalizing-brake, so that each shoe shall have equal or any desired bearing on the wheel regardless of the wear of shoes.

Having explained the nature and construction of my invention, I claim- The combination of the auxiliary shoe B and rod E for actuating the brake when the shoe B is hinged to the common brake-shoe A, substantially as herein described.

ISRAEL TOWNSEND.

Witnesses L. J. GoEErGoN, 

